New Guinea Impatiens named BSR-181 Bright Scarlet

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct New Guinea Impatiens cultivar named BSR-181 Bright Scarlet is provided. This new cultivar was the result of a controlled breeding program wherein a plant designated BSR-12 (non-patented in the United States) was pollinated by a plant designated BSR-27 (non-patented in the United States). The new cultivar forms attractive very large bright scarlet blossoms combined with a strong basal branching character and a compact upright mounded growth habit and can be readily distinguished from the Aenea cultivar (U.S. Plant patent application pending).

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention comprises a new and distinctive Impatiens plant,botanically known as New Guinea Impatiens, and hereafter referred to bythe cultivar name BSR-181 Bright Scarlet.

The new cultivar is the product of a planned breeding program. Morespecifically, the breeding program which resulted in the production ofthe new cultivar was carried out in a controlled environment at SantaMaria, Calif., U.S.A. The female parent (i.e., the seed parent) was aplant designated BSR-12 (non-patented in the United States) whichexhibits rose red blossoms with medium green foliage. The male parent(i.e., the pollen parent) was a plant designated BSR-27 (non-patented inthe United States) which exhibits bright scarlet blossoms with mediumgreen foliage having yellow-green variegation. The parentage of the newcultivar can be summarized as follows:

    BSR-12×BSR-27.

The seeds resulting from the above pollination were sown and plantletswere obtained which were physically and biologically different from eachother. Selective study during January, 1990 resulted in theidentification of a single plant of the new cultivar. This plant hadbright scarlet blossoms and initially was designated BSR-181.

It was found that the cultivar of the present invention:

(a) exhibits attractive very large bright scarlet blossoms whichcommonly measure approximately 7.5 cm. in diameter and approximately7.25 cm. in length.

(b) exhibits a strong basal branching character, and

(c) exhibits a compact upright mounded growth habit.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal or stem cuttingstaken during February, 1990 at Santa Maria, Calif., has demonstratedthat the characteristics of the new cultivar as herein described arefirmly fixed and are retained through successive generations of suchasexual propagation.

The BSR-181 Bright Scarlet cultivar has not been observed under allpossible environmental conditions to date. Accordingly, it is possiblethat the phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in the environment,such as temperature, light intensity, and day length.

When the new cultivar of the present invention is compared to the Aeneacultivar (U.S. Plant patent application pending), it is found that thenew variety exhibits a compact upright mounded growth habit whereas theAenea cultivar exhibits a more spreading mounded growth habit. Also, theflowering of BSR-181 Bright Scarlet cultivar is more profuse than thatof the Aenea cultivar, and the flowers tend to be held well above thefoliage.

When plant material of the BSR-181 Bright Scarlet cultivar is subjectedto standard random amplified polymorphic DNA marker analysis (RAPD)using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and a known unique set of DNAprimers, it is found to exhibit a different fingerprint map whencompared to that of the AENEA cultivar which confirms its geneticdistinctiveness.

Plants of the new cultivar will be marketed under the Celebrationtrademark by George J. Ball, Inc.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accomapnying photograph shows as nearly true as it is reasonablypossible to make the same in a color illustration of this character, atypical specimen of an overall plant of the new cultivar. The plant wasgrown in a greenhouse at Arroyo Grande, Calif. U.S.A.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The chart used in the identification of colors described herein is TheR.H.S. Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society, London England.The color values were determined during the first week of January, 1992.the readings were taken at Arroyo Grande, Calif., U.S.A. The plants wereproduced from cuttings taken from stock plants and were grown understandard greenhouse conditions comparable to those used in commercialpractice while utilizing a soilless growth medium and maintainingtemperatures of approximately 72° F. during the day and approximately65° F. during the night.

Propagation:

Type cutting.--Terminal tip.

Time to initiate roots.--Approximately 14 to 21 days with the shortertimes generally being experienced in the summer and the longer times inthe winter.

Rooting habit.--Fibrous and branching.

Plant description:

Form.--Strong basal branching.

Habit of growth.--Compact and upright mounded. A mature plant commonlymeasures approximagely 12 inches in height and approximately 15 inchesin width.

Foliage.--The configuration is narrow and lanceolate. The leaves of theBSR-181 Bright Scarlet cultivar measure approximately 12 cm.×3 cm. whilethose of the Aenea cultivar measure approximately 9.5 cm×2.5 cm. Thefoliage of the BSR-181 Bright Scarlet cultivar is Green Group 139A. Thiscan be compared to Green Group 137A for the Aenea cultivar, Also, theleaves of the BSR-181 Bright Scarlet cultivar are not as shiny as thoseof the Aenea cultivar. The stem color is light green, Green Group 135C,while that of the Aenea cultivar is Red Group 46A.

Flower description:

Flowering habit.--Freely flowering.

Natural flowering season.--Year-round in greenhouse environment.

Flowers borne.--Above foliage, arising from leaf axils.

Flower color.--Red Group 44B (abaxial) and Red Group 42B (adaxial). Thiscan be compared to Red Group 42A (abaxial) and Red Group 43A for theAenea cultivar.

Quantity of flowers.--Approximately 5 to 10 per stem.

Number of petals.--Five.

Flower diameter.--Approximately 7.5 cm. which can be compared toapproximately 6.5 cm. for the Aenea cultivar.

Nectary length.--Approximately 7.25 cm. which can be compared toapproximately 5.0 cm. for the Aenea cultivar.

Nectary color.--Red Group 47A which can be compared to Red Group 46A forthe Aenea cultivar.

Reproductive organs.--The anthers are fused together forming one organthat surrounds the pistil. Generally, the anthers shed pollen prior tothe stigma becoming receptive. The pollen color is cream-white, WhiteGroup 155D. The stigma color is White Group 155D and can be compared toWhite Group 155C exhibited by the Aenea cultivar. The ovary color isYellow-Green Group 144D and can be compared to Yellow-Green Group 144Bexhibited by the Aenea cultivar.

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of New Guinea Impatiens namedBSR-181 Bright Scarlet, substantially as herein shown and described,which:(a) exhibits attractive very large bright scarlet blossoms whichcommonly measure approximately 7.5 cm. in diameter and approximately b7.25 cm. in length, (b) exhibits a strong basal branching character, and(c) exhibits a compact upright mounded growth habit.